Hugo Xu, Senior District Director at Huttons started his journey into real estate as early as 2007 fresh after completing his National Service. Hugo worked as a part-time property agent while he was still in university. He was able to fund both his studies and living expenses on the part-time income he generated, and gain a head start in what would turn out to be a long-term career in real estate.
Starting the hustle early
As a rookie without much knowledge in property sales, he made sure to expose himself to handling as many types of property as possible during his university years. From HDBs, condominiums, and industrial properties, the range of real estate options available ignited a passion in Hugo and gave him a fresh perspective on the nature of the work. After graduation, Hugo dived straight into property full-time as he recognised the rich potential of a career in real estate. Although he had successfully managed to attain a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, he preferred the flexibility of working hours and a limitless income that real estate could offer.
Turning his biggest obstacles into opportunities
Without a good mentor, Hugo received little to no guidance when he first started out. He tried his luck persuading agents to co-broker deals with him in hopes that they would be willing to provide him with the guidance he needed. Being new to the trade and having a limited understanding of property terms, he faced challenges with negotiations and did not secure some deals. Hugo also realised that proper time management was integral to excel as a property agent. As he was juggling both his studies and work as a part-time agent, striking a balance between the two was challenging. He recounted an incident where he had to rush from a lecture in NTU deep within Jurong West, all the way to Khatib for a house viewing. He ended up being late, which cost him the deal as he was unable to regain the trust of his client.
Despite such hard knocks, Hugo was determined to make it in the industry. Hungry to learn, he contacted HDB to expand his knowledge on all things property-related and even visited the HDB Hub to learn as much as he could from HDB officers. For Hugo, his early years were crucial for learning through action and gaining experience from his mistakes.
Those early years of lessons learned the hard way has clearly paid off – at the helm of a small team of 60 agents, Hugo has been able to lead them to achieve team sales of close to $9m, exceeding even his own expectations. Within the team, 3 have managed to turn millionaires in 2021. Hugo himself has achieved the prestigious award of Top Senior District Director for 19 consecutive months since February 2020.
Leadership style and team culture
Hugo knew from the get-go that he wanted to build a team when he first started out. The many obstacles he faced as a helpless rookie simply reinforced that initial desire, and he envisioned a team that would allow other rookie agents to seek apprenticeships. When he first started building such a team, he flew solo as a mentor. When it began to grow to a size that he could not handle alone, he invited some experienced agents to join his team as leaders. His leaders are empowered to define the team culture and dynamics so that they can have a sense of ownership in fostering team spirit. Hugo encourages his team to think about the kind of leader they aspire to be and supports them in meeting their leadership goals.
Hugo is ever ready to answer any queries his agents may have and is always willing to contribute to honing their skills. The team prides itself on a culture that encourages open sharing and collective problem-solving. Every Monday morning, Hugo would set aside time to meet members of his team who need a hand. Many of them have found these weekly meetings useful to raise problems and discuss any difficulties they have. Alongside these weekly meetings, all leaders have open schedules that anyone in the team can tap on for hands-on learning opportunities such as attending viewings together. Regular sharing sessions are arranged for the whole team, and new business templates are shared with everyone the minute they are developed, as Hugo strongly believes that transparency builds trust and motivation.
Certain values help Hugo stay grounded and maintain a strong team. Hugo sees gratitude and integrity as the most important values to live by. Agents in his team see each other as family and they often show appreciation to one another. In addition, Hugo places emphasis on celebrating all the little wins that his members achieve – so that their many efforts are recognised and rewarded accordingly.
‘Now Recruiting’: What Hugo’s Team has to offer
Presently, Hugo aims to build a mix of generational teams, such as groupings of agents from their mid-20s to early 30s (new entrants who are concurrently undertaking their university studies are welcome). He is also hoping to attract more experienced, senior agents in their 50s who are willing to cross-share with younger ones, and who would thrive off a vibrant and energetic work environment.
The team grows with the support of Rex Tan Division (RTD) and the Fendy Lee Group (FLG). As vital pillars of support, RTD and FLG provide his team with the right platforms to work more efficiently and improve themselves as agents. Processes such as onboarding and training are already built-in, such that new agents who join are aware of what needs to be done and can adapt quickly to the team, rather than simply wait on instructions. Every year, for example, he does a one-to-one year-end review with his agents, helping them strategise and prepare for the new year.
Empowering his agents is central to Hugo’s system of mentorship. He employs the 4 golden decks – Knowledge, Marketing, Conversions, and Sales Closing. All 4 decks need to be fulfilled in order for one to be a full-fledged agent. Having mastered the art of marketing properties over the years, Hugo considers himself an expert on marketing and includes this in his training toolkit. In addition, effective time management is emphasised, especially for young agents having to manage multiple viewings. Skills like relationship-building with clients and conducting client presentations are also imparted.
Building the right relationships for success
Maintaining a healthy balance between his work as an agent and team leader with his personal life remains of importance to Hugo. As team building is a flexible, ongoing process, it can easily be arranged within or outside office hours. Hugo has often brought agents along with him for his appointments so that they may learn by example. As most of his agents have become friends, they often join in on casual friends and family gatherings – no surprise for a team that Hugo encourages to work and play hard together.
Indeed, he cautions young agents against trying to achieve quick monetary returns especially at the beginning of their real estate career. Learning the basics of selling property and establishing camaraderie within one’s team are more important. This mutual trust and friendship would bear fruits of success in the long run. It helps the agents to build strong support systems which they can turn to when they encounter difficulties. Through Hugo’s personal experience, these key factors have led him to achieve exponential monetary returns. Hugo is a strong believer that “The beginning is always the hardest, it only gets better from there on.”
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